Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser for oily skin
Aloe Vera Extracts
Alpine Herbs
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Squalane
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate cleansing for your oily skin due to Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, which effectively remove impurities and excess oil.
- Glycerin and Squalane provide hydration and general skincare benefits, though stronger ingredients for seboregulation are absent.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh or prohibited ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
- Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
- You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this creamy cleanser for normal to dry skin is praised for leaving complexions soft and hydrated, with a luxurious texture and effective cleansing. A moderate number of users enjoy its pleasant, spa-like scent and find it gentle, though a similar proportion find the fragrance strong. A low number of reviews mention it can be drying, cause eye irritation, or that the price is high.
Highlights
Non-stripping hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft and hydrated”
- “doesn't strip my skin”
- “face feels comfortable after washing”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “takes off all makeup”
- “skin feels perfectly clean”
- “removes pollution and dirt”
Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
- “mousse texture is sumptuous”
- “creamy and smooth”
- “lathers beautifully”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “very gentle”
- “calming effect”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells divine”
- “love the herbal scent”
- “smells like a spa”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “scent is too strong”
- “perfume gave me a headache”
- “smells like old lady perfume”
Drying effect Rarely Noted
- “left my face tight”
- “dried out my skin”
- “not hydrating as claimed”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings if it gets in eyes”
- “eyes watered”
- “irritated my eyes”
Formula change Rarely Noted
- “miss the old formula”
- “new version isn't as good”
- “changed the scent”
High price Rarely Noted
- “too expensive for a wash”
- “pricey for the amount”
- “luxury price tag”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, clarinsusa.com, sephora.com, johnlewis.com, escentual.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser work for oily skin?
Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser works moderately well for oily skin because it removes excess oil safely, though it lacks stronger ingredients for managing shine. Cleansers that fit oily skin best need ingredients like Niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to actively control oil and support skin health.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate make this cleanser a good fit because they effectively remove impurities and excess oil, while glycerin and squalane provide hydration. Oily skin of this type needs products with ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or salicylic acid to actively manage oily shine and support skin health.
What does Aloe Vera Extract do for oily skin?
Aloe vera extract helps hydrate oily skin without adding heavy oils and may help calm redness and irritation. It increases water content in the skin while maintaining a good safety profile.
What do Alpine Herbs do for oily skin?
Alpine herbs help balance oily skin by supporting the skin barrier and keeping it calm and smooth. This type of skin needs ingredients that regulate oil and provide lightweight moisture without clogging pores.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, coming after any makeup remover at night. It safely washes away extra oil and impurities, though oily skin also needs ingredients that help balance oil production.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first to remove impurities before following with your retinol treatment. It is safe for your oily skin and unlikely to cause irritation, though an oily skin routine also needs stronger ingredients for oil control.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines to effectively remove impurities and excess oil from your oily skin. This cleanser is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation, though an oily skin type generally needs stronger ingredients that help control oil production.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it gently removes excess oil with mild ingredients and has a safe profile with a low risk of irritation. However, because it lacks stronger ingredients to balance oil production, an oily skin type needs a cleanser that includes targeted oil-control ingredients.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser works for your face, but it is not specifically tailored for the very thin skin around the eyes or the body. Cleansers for oily skin types need gentle cleansing agents combined with ingredients that help balance oil production to properly care for those areas.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
What the research says
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser decreased prokaryotic microbial alpha diversity, altered prokaryotic microbiome structure, increased phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine, and decreased ceramides on facial skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Sodium cocoyl isethionate micelles are too large to penetrate stratum corneum aqueous pores, resulting in significant steric hindrance that prevents skin barrier perturbation and explains its skin mildness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Emulgels containing Perilla frutescens seed oil, Moringa oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil microemulsions exhibit good stability, lack of cytotoxicity in PBMC, and no skin irritation or allergic reactions in human subjects.
Polymers, 2022A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Aqueous standardized leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera showed the highest human dermal fibroblast and human keratinocyte proliferation and migration properties, leading to the development of an alginate-pectin film dressing with optimal physicochemical properties.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2018Topical administration of Moringa oleifera seed extract on excision wounds in male albino rabbits significantly increased the wound healing rate, elevated TGF-β1, VEGF, and Type I collagen relative expression, and reduced inflammatory markers like IL-1β and TNF-α compared to untreated and MEBO-treated groups.
Antioxidants, 2022Moringa oleifera leaf extracts provided significant UV protection with an SPF of 2 at 2% to 4% concentrations and showed no significant irritant potential in cosmetic formulations.
Molecules, 2018Topical application of a cream containing the NHE1 activator rosmarinic acid decreased skin surface pH and transepidermal water loss while increasing skin hydration in 50-60-year-old adult females compared to vehicle cream and no treatment.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Topical treatment with a lemon balm leaf extract formulation reduced eye-corner wrinkles in 20 healthy women compared to placebo by promoting Endo180 production and inhibiting the decline in collagen levels.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2025Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Squalane, Propanediol, Glycol Distearate, Coconut Acid, Glyceryl Behenate, C14-22 Alcohols, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Isethionate, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Disodium Edta, Maltodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Gentiana Lutea Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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